Gait

Gary Gait, a record-setting player who won three NCAA titles and was a four-time All-American as a Syracuse player, was named coach of the school's women's team yesterday. Gait, 40, was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2005. "Gary has proven that he is one of the best [coaches]," Syracuse athletic director Daryl Gross said. "To have the greatest player to play the game who has had success at every level of coaching leading our program is extraordinary." Said Gait: "I'm looking forward to working to take the women's lacrosse program to the next level."

Cottle not the man for Maryland lacrosse So Maryland men's lacrosse coach Dave Cottle thinks his team can average at least eight goals with a revamped, motion offense ("Division I outlook," Feb. 16). Wasn't Cottle brought to Maryland in 2001 to help revamp a sluggish offense? Instead, Maryland has continued to be defensive-minded in his tenure, and Cottle has done nothing to warrant heaping praise. His Terps teams have lost in the NCAA semifinals, and Cottle's reputation as a great regular-season coach but an underachiever in the playoffs has endured.

As anyone who knows cliches knows, it's awfully tough to beat a team three times during a season.The abbreviated National Lacrosse League playoffs begin this weekend -- Philadelphia plays in Toronto tonight and the Thunder plays host to the Rochester Nighthawks tomorrow (7: 30 p.m.) -- and that's the situation the home forces face.The Thunder slugged Rochester, 20-13, to open the season at the Baltimore Arena on Jan. 2 and repeated over the Hawks, 14-11, a couple of weeks ago on the shores of Lake Ontario.

Although Toronto was a late arrival last night, the Thunder made certain it was an early exit for the Rock.Blindsiding Toronto with an 8-2 run, the Thunder built an eight-goal lead early in the third quarter and coasted to a 21-10 win over the Rock before 5,738 at the Baltimore Arena.Toronto, making its National Lacrosse League debut, never seemed to be in sync after arriving only an hour before game time because of fog at Baltimore-Washington International Airport.Gary Gait registered another one-man assault with a personal-best 10 goals and four assists.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Defense and Gary Gait gave the Thunder a 14-11 victory over the Rochester Knighthawks last night at Blue Cross Arena, keeping it tied for first place in the National Lacrosse League."

The Thunder's prize off-season catch may have been reeling in a Salmonbelly.Joe Hiltz, a veteran of the New Westminster Salmonbellies in Canada's Western Lacrosse Association, decided to give the higher-profile American indoor game a second shot.Lured back to the states by a pair of friends, Rochester's Marty O'Neill and the Thunder's Gary Gait, he received two tryouts, with Baltimore being his first stop."I never made it to Rochester," Hiltz said.And for good reason. If not for teammate Gait, Hiltz might be the National Lacrosse League's Most Valuable Player over the first month of the season.

UNIONDALE, N.Y. -- The Thunder was met with a rude welcome last night at Veterans Memorial Coliseum, the site of some not-so-memorable finishes for the team.In the past two seasons, the Thunder has experienced a 15-goal blowout loss to the New York Saints and a heartbreaking, 17-16 overtime defeat last year. So last night was the perfect opportunity to wipe the slate clean and erase some of those unpleasant memories.And the Thunder made the most of it, scoring five unanswered goals, capped by Paul Cantabene's unassisted score with 3: 21 left, to earn a thrilling, 15-14 victory that spoiled the Saints' home opener before 7,437 vocal fans.

Opponent: New York SaintsWhere: Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, N.Y.When: 7: 30Radio: WCBM (680 AM)Outlook: The National Lacrosse League-leading Thunder (3-0) proved it is more than just a one-man attack last week at Buffalo. With superstar Gary Gait suffering from stomach flu, Joe Hiltz picked up the slack, scoring seven goals to go along with two assists in a 22-15 victory. Three other Thunder players recorded three goals or more, including Gait, who scored three times. The Thunder has the NLL's top three scorers in Gait, Hiltz and Matt Shearer and is averaging 21 goals per game.

Remember that top-flight reputation the Thunder had established through the first half of the season?Well, it's at a fragile state right now after last week's loss, and tonight's game against the New York Saints could restore it or destroy it."It's a very big game," Thunder forward Joe Hiltz said. "If we come out and blow another one, teams may think we were lucky at times. Or they might start to think they've figured us out. But if we come out and play offense like we can, there shouldn't be a challenge."

Taking a cue from the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team, every Team Canada player bleached his hair before yesterday's game.Trying to convey team unity, the players followed the lead of star midfielder Paul Gait, who came to the World Games with a new platinum blond hairdo. Their efforts brought mixed results, however, as a few players were left with reddish and bright brown-colored coifs."I was trying to be a little different and give the kids something to talk about," Gait said. "I guess it turned into a fad for the team."

Sunday's meeting with No. 7 Syracuse was a bellwether game for the No. 13 Loyola women's lacrosse team. A little past midseason, this 17-10 loss to the Orange in a Big East contest at Diane Geppi-Aikens Field showed how far the Greyhounds still have to go, but it also measured how far they have come in their resurgence. In her first season as coach, Jen Adams, a former star player at Maryland and assistant with the Terps and Denver, has guided Loyola (8-4, 1-3) to victories over three ranked teams and to its first Top 20 ranking since March 2005.

Gary Gait loves a lacrosse challenge. Since his All-America days at Syracuse 20 years ago, Gait has made an indelible mark on the sport at every turn. He revolutionized the men's game with his stick skills and acrobatic attack moves, winning more than a dozen championships on the college, pro and international levels. In 1994, he brought that same innovation and creativity to the women's game as an assistant coach at Maryland, inspiring a style of play that fueled a record seven-year run as NCAA Division I champion.

Gary Gait, a record-setting player who won three NCAA titles and was a four-time All-American as a Syracuse player, was named coach of the school's women's team yesterday. Gait, 40, was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2005. "Gary has proven that he is one of the best [coaches]," Syracuse athletic director Daryl Gross said. "To have the greatest player to play the game who has had success at every level of coaching leading our program is extraordinary." Said Gait: "I'm looking forward to working to take the women's lacrosse program to the next level."

Do you consider yourself a true lacrosse fan? Are you ready for the NCAA tournament, a gathering that feels each year like the sport's Woodstock? Test your lacrosse knowledge with this handy quiz. 1. Lacrosse is a sport with a rich history and many traditions. It's considered by many to be the oldest sport in North America. Who invented the game? A. Brian Billick invented it. He told me so. He also invented the telephone and unlocked the secrets of photosynthesis when he wasn't working on his novel, The Great Gatsby.

Cottle not the man for Maryland lacrosse So Maryland men's lacrosse coach Dave Cottle thinks his team can average at least eight goals with a revamped, motion offense ("Division I outlook," Feb. 16). Wasn't Cottle brought to Maryland in 2001 to help revamp a sluggish offense? Instead, Maryland has continued to be defensive-minded in his tenure, and Cottle has done nothing to warrant heaping praise. His Terps teams have lost in the NCAA semifinals, and Cottle's reputation as a great regular-season coach but an underachiever in the playoffs has endured.

When the defending Major League Lacrosse champion Bayhawks launch their 2006 season at Long Island on Preakness night, they will be sporting a new look in everything from ownership to coaching to playing personnel. Even the league in which they compete will feature a makeover, with the creation of a Western Conference that includes teams in Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles and San Francisco. "It's the end of an era for the MLL and a very exciting time," said Bayhawks co-president and owner Scott Hiller, who will also serve as the interim head coach.

BOSTON - Even at the age of 38, silver-haired Gary Gait will tell you that winning championships never gets old. He should know. He is the reigning authority on the subject. Playing with the vigor of a rookie, Gait, the elder statesman of lacrosse, had six goals yesterday to lift the Bayhawks to their second Major League Lacrosse championship, with a convincing 15-9 win over the Long Island Lizards, before 6,829 at Boston University's Nickerson Field. Gait becomes the first player to play on three MLL title winners, taking the first one as a midfielder with the Lizards in 2001, and again the next season as a player-coach with the Bayhawks.

IRONDEQUOIT, N.Y. - What they wanted was a tuneup. What they got was a wakeup call. A loud one. But for the Bayhawks, last night's 21-19 loss to the Rochester Rattlers may be just what they needed to get ready for this week's Major League Lacrosse Championship Weekend. "It's a good lesson," said Bayhawks player-coach Gary Gait, "that we have to be prepared and focused for a full 60 minutes." The Bayhawks (10-2), seeded second, will meet the No. 3 Rattlers (6-6) again Friday, in a semifinal at Nickerson Field in Boston.

BOSTON - The Bayhawks seemed to be in trouble early in last night's Major League Lacrosse game against the Boston Cannons. They lost the league's best faceoff man, midfielder Paul Cantabene, after he suffered a seven-stitch gash above his left eye barely four minutes into the game. Shortly thereafter, they lost midfielder Josh Sims to a hamstring injury. But Ben Defelice filled in admirably for Cantabene, winning 19 of 33 faceoffs, and Jeff Sonke stepped in for Sims and contributed five points, including one two-point goal.

The Bayhawks' triple threat - Tom Marechek, Gary Gait and Mikey Powell - ran circles around Long Island Lizards defensemen, scoring 11 goals in a 19-8 victory yesterday. During a 21-minute span in the second and third quarters, the host Bayhawks (7-0) used a 10-1 run to put the game out of reach. "If you're passing the ball and everyone's moving, you're going to be hard to defend," Bayhawks midfielder Mark Frye said. The Lizards' only answer came in the form of physical force. Along with Lizards midfielder Ryan Moran, defensemen Nicky Polanco and John Gagliardi accumulated 4:30 in penalty minutes in attempts to halt the Bayhawks' high-powered offense.